The present invention relates generally to a device for coating a medical implant. The present invention also relates to a method for coating a medical implant using a device of the type.
The coating of medical implants with pharmaceutical agents has garnered increasing attention in the recent years. Antibiotic protection of the surface of implant materials is a central application of coating methods in this context. The improvement of the surface compatibility of medical implants that non-cemented medical implants in order to improve osseointegration is another important application.
Any implantation of articular endoprostheses, and of osteosynthesis materials as well, is associated with a certain risk of microbial contamination. Successful colonisation of microbial pathogens on the surface of the implant can lead to the manifestation of post-operative osteitis/osteomyelitis. Osteitis/osteomyelitis is a severe complication for the patient and, in addition, associated with substantial costs.
Gentamicin-doped PMMA bone cement has been in clinical use with cemented articular endoprostheses for decades with much success. The broadband antibiotic, gentamicin, contained in the bone cement protects the surface of the bone cement effectively from bacterial infections.
With regard to non-cemented articular endoprostheses and osteosynthesis materials, a number of approaches has been proposed in order to also attain local antibiotic protection of the implant surfaces.
For example, the use of poorly water-soluble antibiotic salts has been described in several patent specifications. For exemplary purposes, EP 0 623 349 A1, EP 1 470 829 A1, EP 1 374 923 A2, DE 101 42 465 A1, and DE 44 04 018 A1 can be cited in this context. The poorly water-soluble salts dissolve while releasing the antibiotics contained therein as a result of the action of body fluids. Prolonged release of the agent is advantageous. However, the laborious production of the salts is disadvantageous.
Alternatively, it is feasible to use water-soluble antibiotic salts. This is associated with a problem related to fixation of the antibiotic on the implant surface.
The majority of coatings that have been described thus far is preferably intended for the manufacture of coated implants under industrial conditions. This means that the industrial coating of the implants can only involve few agents that are relevant for large-scale use in order to be able to guarantee that the industrial manufacture is economic through sufficiently large throughput.
In particular in the case of antibiotic coatings, though, considering the increasingly problematic resistance status and the ensuing increased manifestation of multi-resistant pathogens, such as MRSA and MRSE, it is of interest to use antibiotics or combinations of antibiotics, which are specifically adapted to the germ at hand, for the coating of revision prostheses in one-stage or two-stage septic articular endoprosthesis replacement in order to ensure effective initial antibiotic protection of the implant surfaces.
It is also disadvantageous in this context that the methods for coating of medical implants are relatively laborious. Variable short-term application is not feasible. Various applications then require the stock-keeping of various coated medical implants in order to meet the needs of the different patients. This requires extensive stock-keeping and prevents uncommon mixtures for specific cases.